Promises
by loveSayuri
Summary: Usually calm and serious, she doesn't express much emotions in the presence of others besides her brother, sometimes even coming off as cold. But love can have a powerful effect on a person's character. Will this hold true for her as well? After being reunited with a childhood friend who she hasn't seen for seven years, things will surely change. GaaraxOC
1. Chapter 1: Sister

**Author's Note: **Here's a heads up for you all, my OC falls under the category of the Mary Sue since she is already a highly-skilled shinobi. Sorry about that. This story is not focused on her development as a shinobi, but her relationship with Gaara.

* * *

_Walking slowly towards the direction of the faint sounds of cries, he couldn't help but move with caution. He was in the middle of the woods west of Konoha, but yet there's a baby nearby, crying. Is there danger lurking about? Is there really a baby in distress in the middle of the woods or is it a trap set by enemy shinobi waiting to ambush him? No. He couldn't sense any chakra from a potential enemy. So as he concluded that the baby was probably left alone to fend for itself, he ran towards the sound of muffled crying._

_After running several yards, he stops abruptly. Right in front of him, on the ground, was a basket, covered with a white, thick blanket. Embroidered on it were small lily pads and lotus flowers. He could clearly see the movements of the baby beneath the fabric. He took a few steps until he was inches away from the basket. Getting down on one knee, he carefully inches his right hand towards the blanket and then slowly pulls it away, revealing a beautiful, wailing baby._

_It was a girl. He estimated that she was about several weeks old, maybe a month or two. Wearing a plain, large, black t-shirt and diapers underneath it was clear she wasn't dirty or emaciated. He concluded she was well taken care of prior to being left here, and not too long ago. She could have been here for only a few hours, minutes even. __She seized her crying and her big, raven eyes opened up and pondered at the boy before her._

_"Who would leave such a cute little baby here?" He asked out loud, not really expecting an answer. The two continued to stare at each other in silence._

_A few minutes pass by, suddenly; she extends her arms out towards him. "Aah!" she squeals._

_He gives her a questioning looking for a few seconds, but then realizes that she just wants to be held. __He gently scoops her up and cradles her. _What do I do with you? _He thought. After minutes of cradling and watching her slowly fall asleep, he makes a decision and with a single hand sign, he disappears in a puff of smoke._

* * *

"UGH. How long are we gonna sit here? When are we gonna go out and train?" yelled Naruto.

"Quit complaining and listen to Kakashi-sensei!" And with that, Sakura gives Naruto a little punch on his head, making him lose balance, causing him to fall off the top of the desk he was sitting on. "Oww.. Hmph.." he pouts and crosses his arms across his chest.

Sasuke didn't care to put his attention on the two, so he waited patiently for their sensei to continue.

"Now now. As your sensei and your superior, it is mandatory for me to explain to you the basic safety precautions you must take when going out on a mission." Kakashi is sitting Indian-style on the teacher's desk in front of the chalkboard, while his fellow students are sitting at the students' desks.

"C'mon sensei! We already know that by now, we're not little kids anymore!" Naruto pouts while sitting on the floor, crossing his arms.

"I know, I know. But-" Kakashi is interrupted by a knock. Their eyes turn towards the door. "Ah, come in." He says toward the person behind the door, already knowing who was on the other side.

The knob twists, the door opens halfway, and a kunoichi with long black hair tied into a poinytail steps in, still holding onto the door knob.

She glances at the three genin looking at her one-by-one until her eyes fall on Kakashi. "Kakashi, Sarutobi-sama wants you in his office. He has a mission for you."

"Oh really?" Kakashi jumps off the desk. "I'll be there in a bit, thank you for informing me Sayuri." He says with a smile, though it was hidden by his mask of course.

Sayuri nods. "I'll see you later then, nii-san." She closes the door and the sound of her light footsteps quickly fade away.

Kakashi turns his heads towards his students. "Well looks like this lesson is cut short today. I'll have to speak to you guys some other time. Have fun!" He waves at them and then makes his way towards the door and puts his hand on the doorknob.

"WA-WA-WAIT KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Naruto yells while quickly getting off the ground and onto his feet.

Kakashi stops and turns around. "Yes Naruto?"

"That girl!" Naruto points at the door. "She called you nii-san!"

"Oh. Sayuri?" he crosses his arms and leans his back against the door.

Naruto nods. Sakura and Sasuke were just as curious as the blonde boy.

"Hmm. Now that you mention it." Kakashi looks at the floor and closes his eyes for a few seconds, only to look back up at his three curious students. "I never told you that I have a sister, huh?"

"EH? No you didn't!" Sakura and Naruto wore a surprised look on their face.

"How could you leave that part out Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto walked a few feet towards Kakashi and put his hands on his hips.

"Well, you guys never really asked.." Kakashi shrugged, *sweat drop*.

"Tell us tell us! Who's team is she in? Who are her teammates?" Sakura joins Naruto.

Sasuke was quiet as usual, but he was eagerly waiting for their sensei's response.

"I'll answer all your questions another day, but right now the Hokage is waiting for me." He swiftly opens the door and was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Sensei!" Sakura yells. Then there was silence.

"MAN!" Naruto puts his hands behind his head, letting out a grunt. "Why does he always do that?"


	2. Chapter 2: Introduction

_Knock, knock. "Come in!" yells a man from the other side of the door._

_With the baby cradled in his left arm, the young boy turns the knob and silently steps into the room, closing the door behind him and then turning toward the man at the desk._

_"Sorry for interrupting you, Hokage-sama." He bows slightly, now holding the baby with both his arms._

_"No need to apologize." The man puts down the calligraphy brush he's holding and leans back on his chair. "How may I help you, Kakashi?" He gazes at the baby with a curious look._

_Kakashi walks towards the desk and stops a few feet away. "I found this baby in the middle of the woods out west from here. It seems that she was left there not too long ago."_

_"Oh?" The Hokage sits back up and extends his arm out towards the sleeping baby._

_Kakashi hands her to him, and the Hokage leans back on his chair again, cradling the baby._

_"My." He says softly. "Who on earth would leave you all alone out there, little one?" The room was silent for a few minutes while the Hokage played with the baby's fingers._

_"What do you think I should do with her, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asks, trying to break the silence._

_The Hokage thought for a few seconds._

_"It's best if we put her in the orphanage until her parents or guardians are found." He answered, still looking at the baby, but then stands up and walks from behind his desk and stops in front of Kakashi. "I'll leave that to you, Kakashi." He puts her back into Kakashi's arms and walks back to his seat behind the desk._

_"I understand." Kakashi bows, turns around, and takes his leave._

* * *

It has been a few days since Kakashi left for his mission. Team 7 was out and about, doing their own thing.

Naruto was at Ichiraku Ramen, sitting at the counter, waiting for his order to come as usual.

"Here you go!" Teuchi, the owner, says, while turning around and placing the bowl of ramen in front of Naruto.

"THANK YOU!" Naruto exclaims. He grabs the chopsticks and claps his hands together. "Itadakimasu!" And with that, he quickly starts gobbling the ramen.

Five minutes afterwards, Naruto was back outside walking around, observing everything around him with a smile on his face.

He takes a turn and makes his way home. At the corner of his eye, he sees a familiar green figure. He turns his head to the right and sees Might Guy, his back turned towards him, walking the other direction.

There was a girl up ahead from him. Crossing her arms and leaning back onto a metal pole that was connected to the nearby building, she patiently waited for Guy to catch up to her.

"Oi Sayuri!" Guy waves to her with a smile. Sayuri uncrosses her arms and walks toward him, meeting him halfway.

"You are to go out north from Konoha. A small village there requested for your team's help." She bluntly states.

Meanwhile, Naruto was a few feet away from the two, poking his head out from an alley, eavesdropping on their conversation. _That's the girl from the other day! _He thought. _Kakashi-sensei's sister!_

"Ah another C-rank mission?" Guy says with a disappointed look. Sayuri nods. "All right then. Thank you Sayuri!" He quickly does a hand sign and disappears in a puff of smoke.

Sayuri turns to leave until she hears someone yell out "Wait a minute!" She stops and turns toward the voice and sees the blonde-haired boy from the other day.

Naruto runs towards her and stops. "So are you really Kakashi-sensei's sister?"

"Yes." Sayuri nods. "And you are his student." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yup!" Naruto points his thumb at himself. "Uzumaki Naruto's the name! Future Hokage!" He says confidently with a smirk.

Sayuri lets out a chuckle. "Is that so?" She says amused, putting her right hand on her hip. "Well nice to meet you Naruto. I'm Sayuri."

Instead of continuing on his way home, Naruto decided to walk around Konoha with Sayuri while bombarding her with questions. If he were talking to someone else, surely they would get very annoyed by him, but Sayuri wore a calm expression on her face the whole time he was basically interrogating her, never really giving him a second glance.

"Who's your sensei? Where's your team? Why do you deliver messages? Have you ever seen Kakashi-sensei without his mask?" Were the last questions he asked until he noticed Sakura standing nearby, listening to their conversation, waiting for Sayuri to answer. "Hey Sakura-chan!" He says to her with a wave.

Sayuri stops and turns her head slightly towards her.

"Uhh hey Naruto!" Sakura says scratching her head, a little embarrassed that she was caught eavesdropping. She walks toward them and smiles to Sayuri. "Hello. I'm Sakura!"

Sayuri nods. "Sayuri."

"Ahem." The three turn around to see Sasuke standing in front of them, a hand in his pocket. "Was Team 7 supposed to have a get-together?"

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura blushes and quickly gets in front of him. "We're just getting to know Sayuri-chan!"

Sasuke didn't even look at her. He continued to stare at Sayuri who was also staring back. "Uchiha Sasuke."

"Hn." Was all Sayuri said. She didn't repeat her name because she knew he was there when she Sakura was introducing herself. Now that her brother's students were surrounding her, Sayuri realized she wasn't going home anytime soon.

* * *

Sayuri and the three Genins were now at a field, away from the busy streets. Sayuri was sitting down, leaning against a tree, staring at nothing. Sasuke was doing the same, but arms crossed, and eyes closed. Sakura was sitting down near him, inching closer and closer, much to Sasuke's annoyance, though he didn't show it.

Normally, Naruto would be trying to get in between the two, but right now, he was too focused on Sayuri, so he sat right in front of her, Indian-style."So Sayuri-chan! How about telling us about yourself?"

Sayuri looks up at him and sighs. "I really don't know what's so interesting.."

"Kakashi-sensei has never mentioned having a sister. He never mentioned his family at all actually." Sakura states, her focus finally off of Sasuke.

"Did you ever ask?" Sayuri raises a brow.

Sakura and Naruto give her blank looks. They look at the ground and shake their heads.

"And that's why he never did." Sayuri lets out another sigh.

"Soooo," Naruto begins. "Why do you deliver messages around? Shouldn't you be too busy training with your team and sensei?"

Sayuri gives him a questioning look. "I don't have a sensei, nor am I in a team. That's only for Genins."

"EH?" Sakura was now sitting besides Naruto, even more curious. "So.. are you saying that you are not a Genin?"

"Yes." Sayuri gives a single nod. Now Naruto and Sakura were both very confused.

"So you're... a Chuunin?" Sakura asks. Sayuri simply shakes her head.

"H-how old are you?" Naruto asks nervously.

"Same age as the three of you." Sayuri didn't know how that was relevant anyway.

"EHHH?" Naruto and Sakura yell in unison.

"You're OUR age and a JOUNIN? That's impossible!" Naruto points at Sayuri with a shaking hand. "You're lying!"

Now Sayuri was getting a little annoyed. He had the nerve to doubt her, let alone underestimate her? "Didn't Kakashi teach you never to make assumptions?"

"If you are a Jounin," Sasuke interrupted. He was now up and walking towards the three. "Prove it in combat."

Their gazes turn to the Uchiha boy. Shocked that he was suddenly challenging her.

Seeing his eyes filled with the eagerness to fight, Sayuri stands up. "You are just as ignorant as Naruto."

"What?" Sasuke scowls.

"You assume that fighting me will prove to you where I'm a Jounin or not." Sayuri put a hand on her hip. "Tell me, what makes you think you can accurately distinguish someone's rank through their ability to fight?"

Sasuke was silent, now glaring at her.

Fully aware that she wasn't going to get an answer, Sayuri looks down and closes her eyes, and chuckles. "Nii-san really needs to go over a few things with you guys." She looks back up at Sasuke and smiles for the first time while in their presence-well more like she smirks. "Very well then. I accept your challenge."


	3. Chapter 3: Prodigy

**Author's Note: There will be little to no fighting scenes in this story. I suck at those. Also, in this story, it's rare for a person to have graduated the academy at an age younger than 12 let alone be promoted to the ranks above a genin. I will be switching into first-person point of view very soon. I will not be focusing on the relationship between Sayuri and Team 7 too much so I'll be skipping around.**

* * *

_The 14-year-old Kakashi stopped and stood in front of a tall building about two stories high. There was a big playground to the right of the building bordered by a chain-linked fence. He looked up and pondered at the building. It underwent a renovation a few weeks ago so it looked as if it was just recently built. There was a big sign at the top of the main entrance that read, "Konoha's Orphanage" in colorful child-friendly font. Its employees were coming in and out of the building, usually bringing in a new-found orphan or taking one out to play._

_Kakashi looked down at the sleeping baby he was carrying for a moment, and then reluctantly walked inside. _

_The main room was spacious and looked similar to a hotel lobby. There were counters left and right, with multiple receptionists helping people fill out paperwork. Children accompained by adults were coming in and out of the hallways ahead. After looking around, Kakashi notices one receptionist wasn't occupied._

_He looked down at the sleeping baby one more time and for a second, he felt hesitant. All he could think about was the moment her eyes opened to reveal two dark orbs staring back at him. It was the baby's innocence that captivated him so. For a moment, he pitied the baby for being born found in a place where fighting was eminent._

I guess this is good bye. _He mentally bids farewell to the child and then walks to the receptionist who was already patiently waiting for him to approach._

* * *

The tension between the two was thick enough to cut with a kunai. Sayuri and Sasuke stood a few meters away from each other, both their expressions were unreadable. Sakura and Naruto were standing together at the side watching anxiously. They simply stared at each other with anticipation. Other than the occasional breeze causing tree branches to sway, there was complete silence.

"Hn!" Sasuke, eager to make the first move, charges at her despite what happened last time when he charged at Kakashi rashly..

Sayuri merely stood there, studying everything about him, from the expression on his face to the way his legs alternated as he ran. He was naive, that she was sure, but he was also completely different from his teammates. He had something to prove to the rest of the world. Sayuri could see it in his eyes.

_Uchiha Sasuke, huh... Now I know what nii-san meant when he said Sasuke was different from the other two. _Even if he was a mere Genin, she knew it would be unwise to let her guard down, so she got into a fighting stance as Sasuke closed in on her.

Poof! A puff of smoke appears between Sayuri and Sasuke, making Sasuke skid to a halt.

As the smoke fades away, Kakashi slowly became visible to the young shinobi.

"Yo!" He says with a smile and a single wave.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura and Naruto run towards him. "You're back from your mission?"

"Yes." He looks at each one of them individually, acknowledging their presence. "Was I interrupting something?"

By that time, Sayuri and Sasuke were already walking towards him. Sayuri was happy to see her brother, though her face didn't show it, while Sasuke was clearly unhappy that he didn't even get to fight.

"Hmph," was Sasuke's answer.

"Ah Sayuri! I take it you've already become acquainted with my team?" Kakashi turns around to face his sister.

"You can put it that way..."

"Oh before I forget, Hokage-sama is sending you and Kurenai out on a mission. She should be at her home right now. She'll have more details for you."

"Alright. I'll see you when I return then." Without any last words (or even a last glance) at the other three, Sayuri's quickly disappears.

* * *

It was now evening. Since Kakashi was in a good mood after such an easy mission, he decided to treat Team 7 to Ichiraku Ramen.

"I can't believe Sayuri-chan is really a Jounin! That's awesome!" Naruto says in between bites.

"So if Sayuri-san became a Jounin this year, when did she become a Chuunin?" Sakura turns to Kakashi.

"Hmm.. let's see.." Kakashi crosses his arm and closes his eyes for a few seconds. "I believe she graduated the academy as a Genin when she was 6... A few years later-So she was 8 when she became a Chuunin. She became a Jounin just two years ago. I was just as surprised as you guys. She learned so quickly-" Kakashi continued to basically brag about Sayuri's impressive background until night began to fall.

"WOW!" Naruto says with sparkling eyes after Kakashi was done. "So Sayuri-chan is just as strong as sensei huh?"

"Well if it was a few years ago I would say that we are on the same level. But right now, I'm sure she has surpassed me." Kakashi was obviously proud of his young sister. He could never really get tired of talking about her accomplishments. He hoped that this will give his students more motivated to grow as shinobi.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were very surprised and impressed at this point. Sasuke was a little skeptical though. How come he has never heard of Sayuri until now? The last person to be known as a child prodigy was his...

Naruto turns to his right and points at Sasuke. "HAHA. YOU WOULD'VE GOTTEN YOUR ASS KICKED!"

"Tch." Sasuke glares at the finger being pointed at him, hoping it would burst into flames if he glared enough. Knowing that wouldn't happen, he gets up from his seat. "It's getting late. Thanks for the meal Kakashi." He turns and leaves the shop. With his hands in his pockets, he walks towards his home. _So she may be stronger than Kakashi-sensei... Hm.._

"Heh. If you hadn't shown up Kakashi-sensei, I bet Sayuri-chan would've been wiping the floor with Sasuke's face! HAHA! I can just picture it! If only you hadn't shown up!" Naruto continued to laugh while Sakura and Kakashi got up from their seats.

"Thank you for the meal Kakashi-sensei! Good night!" Sakura bows and dismisses herself. _I'm going to be just like Sayuri-san! Sasuke-kun will be so impressed, he'll definitely fall in love with me. _She mentally squeals.

"Eh, why is everyone leaving?" Naruto gets up from his seat.

"You should head home too, Naruto. I'll see you tomorrow." And Kakashi quickly jumps onto a nearby rooftop and heads home, leaving Naruto alone in front of the ramen shop.

"Hmph! I'm always the last one left!" He says with a pout.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Thank you to the kind guest that left me my first review! And thank you to the two that followed this story. :] I'm really not much of a writer. I'm not good with descriptive imagery and all that so I'm sorry if my writing is very bland.


	4. Chapter 4: Dinner

**Author's Note: PLEASE READ. **I just wanted to say that, the first three chapters are two years old. I found them in my flashdrive recently and thought, what the hek, I'll just tweak them and post them on fanfiction for kicks. From here on out, chapters will be basically brand new material for me. So the writing will probably be a lot different. This chapter is an example.

It's written in second-person point of view. It's kind of easier writing this way! I should do this more often. Give me some feedback? :)

* * *

You loved waking up to the sound of birds chirping. No matter how bad of a mood you were in, their songs always managed to make the atmosphere around you feel serene and put you at ease. No matter what time of the day it is, whether it be really early in the morning or late at night- you welcomed their songs. Because unlike everyone else, they could easily read you.

When you felt lonely or sad, their songs comforted you. When you started thinking about unhappy memories, their songs distracted you. Whenever you were mad at your brother, their songs reminded you of why you shouldn't be.

Right now, you were a little too comfortable in your bed. You've been like this since you returned from the Land of Iron with Kurenai two weeks ago.

The Land of Iron is a country covered in snow. Even after two weeks of staying in one of its villages hidden amongst snowy hills, the effect the cold climate had on you still lingered.

You absolutely detested the cold. You were more susceptible to it. Most likely it's because of your thin frame. You're pretty underweight after all (and that's something you greatly dislike about yourself). Not only that, but the Land of Iron is so far from Konoha. Usually, you didn't mind traveling long distance, but in this case, you did mind. Moving around while feeling frozen and numb isn't fun.

If you had a choice, you would never take on any missions that involved dealing with cold weather. But you're a shinobi that followed orders; you can't be selfish when it comes to your line of duty.

You decided you spent enough time in bed, it was already way past noon. You lazily got out from underneath your covers and left your room to go downstairs.

Kakashi was laying on the couch, leaning against one of the armrests, and reading the book he's always seen reading.

"You still haven't finish reading that?" You asked, walking to the fridge and opening it up.

"Oh, you're awake! I was getting worried." His eyes continued to skim through the words in front of him. He had already read the entire thing within a month after purchasing it actually. But it doesn't mean he couldn't read it over and over again.

"Sure you were." You inspected the fridge's contents and mentally scowled. It was nearly empty.

Kakashi closed the book, tucking it into one of his pockets, and sat up. "Hungry? Let's go buy some food. I haven't eaten either."

You closed the fridge. As always, Kakashi waited until you were awake to go grocery shopping. He never really went by himself, unless you were sick or away on a mission. He wasn't really good at choosing between what was essential to our health and what only tasted good. Or maybe he just liked leaving the decision-making to you; that just meant less responsiblity for him. You're well aware of the fact that he's well-educated, so it was obviously the latter. Typical lazy brother.

"I'll go shower."

* * *

The streets were lively. Children were playing. Adults were chattering away. Vendors were yelling out prices of their cheapest products. There were shinobi here and there, patroling around or just living their life like any other citizen of Konoha.

You and Kakashi had just concluded grocery shopping and were leaving the market to head home.

"Hm... what should we have for dinner tonight..." Kakashi asked himself, as he smiled at the mental images of sukiyaki, one of his favorite dishes. You knew he was really directing the question towards you.

"Sukiyaki?" You asked. It was a lucky guess.

"That sounds perfect Sayuri! It's been awhile since we've had some. You make the best sukiyaki!"

Typical brother response. Guess who'll be the one cooking tonight?

"Did I hear someone say sukiyaki?"

You and Kakashi both turn around to be greeted by a wide grin plastered on Naruto's face.

"Count me in!"

* * *

How did this even happen?

Here you were sitting on the floor of your dining room. In front of you was a small table, filled with many dishes of all sizes containing a variety of ingredients such as quail eggs, tofu, vegetables and sliced beef. A hot pot was brewing in the middle, already containing small portions of each ingredient.

Across from you sat Kakashi, to your right was Naruto, and to your left was Sasuke with Sakura at his side slyly inching closer and closer to the boy.

Back in the market, Naruto had invited himself to dinner at your home. You repeatedly denied him of his self-invite but eventually gave in. The boy just wouldn't shut up.

You didn't hate Naruto or anything... he was just loud, much to your dislike. But you had a feeling that ever since he had introduced himself to you, his presence in your life would be inevitable. Besides, he's your brother's student, avoiding him is fruitless. So might as well get used to him now.

Kakashi didn't mind too much. But since he thought it would be unfair for only Naruto to be the only one helping himself to your cooking, he decided Sasuke and Sakura should be joining us too.

While you went home with Naruto, who was now carrying the bags your brother held, Kakashi went to find Sakura.

It didn't take too long, since she was also around the market area. She declined at first, until Kakashi mentioned that Sasuke would be having dinner with them too. That was a lie, since he had yet to ask him. But Sakura didn't question him. She instantly changed her mind without a second thought and went home to get herself ready.

Kakashi then found Sasuke at one of the training grounds, practicing his aiming by throwing kunais and shurikens at targets that were posted on random trees.

He also declined, until Kakashi mentioned discussing a mission that they will be partaking in. That too was a lie, but Kakashi was planning on going into the Hokage's office anyway to inquire about any available missions they can take on. Like Sakura, Sasuke changed his mind.

And now here the five of you were, sitting in front of a table filled with mouth-watering food. Naruto was literally drooling; his stomach was aching. He was on the verge of jumping onto to the table and swallowing everything whole regardless of the others. But for now, he knew his place. He was in his sensei's home, and you had 'kindly' prepared all of this for him and his team. (Even though you declined insistently at first.)

Everyone was silent for what felt like hours, just staring at their empty bowls, waiting for someone to initiate the dining process.

"Well then..." Kakashi grabbed his chopsticks and clapped his hands together. Everyone else followed suit. "Let's eat shall we?"

You and his team gave a slight nod.

"Itadakimasu!" Everyone said in unison.


	5. Chapter 5: Distraction

**Author's Note**: Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I was struggling with what to write for this chapter so it's shorter than the others. Sorry!

* * *

You open the curtains of your bedroom window to allow the sunlight to illuminate your room. You peek outside for a few seconds but then turn around to finish getting dressed.

After tying your hair into your usual pony tail, you walk over to your bed where you had your weapon compartments out and strapped them onto your pants. Now staring at your empty bed, you let out a sigh. Eventually, your eyes begin to wander.

Your eyes slowly trail from your bed to your nightstand. There you had several picture frames that mostly consisted of old photos of you and your brother. There was one photo of you as a child, probably around the age of four, sitting on top of Kakashi's shoulders. You wore a large smile on your face, big enough to reveal almost all of your white baby teeth. In another photo, you and Kakashi were standing side-by-side, he had one arm around your shoulder and was smiling underneath his mask. It was taken the day you had become a genin. But in this photo, you weren't really smiling, just staring at the camera.

For a while now, you've noticed that in every picture taken of you after the age of let's say 5 or 6, you never once genuinely smiled. But you didn't dwell too much on it.

You look to another picture frame, but then quickly avert your eyes to your headband that was laying right next to it. You hadn't put it on yet. Your eyes then trail to the end of the nightstand and stop at a certain object.

A teddy bear. Its backside leaning against the wall so that it would remain sitting up.

It's been a while since you held it, let alone touched it, so you can clearly see the dust that had settled on top of it. When you were little, you used to sleep with it, using it as a body pillow to cuddle with. But you quickly grew out of that habit once you got tired of being reminded of certain things...

You were too busy thinking, your eyes still locked onto the stuffed toy, that you failed to notice your bedroom door creaking open and your brother poking his head in.

He opens his mouth, about to speak, until he notices you dazing off. He takes his eyes off of you and follows your line of vision to see what you could be staring at. He realizes that you were staring at your childhood toy, once again. This wasn't the first time he has caught you doing this so he wasn't surprised.

"Sayuri."

The way you quickly turned your head with wide eyes to look at your brother showed you were a bit startled by the sudden call of your name. You blink a few times to push away the thoughts (or memories) that were clouding your head. "..yes?"

Your reaction didn't go unnoticed by your brother, but he decides not to give it a second thought. You always responded that way after having been staring at the toy. He was used to it.

"Will you do me a favor and gather up my team for me? I would do it myself but I have a few things to do regarding preparations for the Chuunin Exams. I'll meet you guys at the usual spot."

You turn your head away from your brother to look at your nightstand one more time. You grab your headband and then head for the door. "Alright."

* * *

You were walking the streets leisurely, in no rush to find the three Genin.

Meanwhile, a young Sand shinobi clad in black with a painted face was staring out his team's hotel room window, looking down upon the citizens whose lives they were drastically going to affect in a month or so. "Temari. Look."

His older sister, a blonde with a huge fan strapped onto her back, joins her younger brother at the window. "What is it Kankuro?"

"Doesn't that girl look familiar? The one in black."

Temari follows his eyes and sees you walking. She doesn't say anything for her a few seconds; the wheels were turning in her head. You _did_ look oddly familiar.

"Wait isn't she... wasn't she that little girl who..."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's her." Kankuro crosses his arms. "Wow. She's still pretty cute."

Temari elbows him for that comment. She then turns her head to look around the room to make sure their sensei or their youngest sibling weren't there. "Do you think they've seen each other yet? It's good if they don't right?"

Kankuro shrugs. "Who knows? Probably."

You make a right turn, down an empty narrow street bordered by wooden fences and out of the Sand shinobi's sight. You were a good distance away from their hotel now though you didn't even realize they were watching you since you were too busy thinking once again. Despite being mentally distracted, your eyes always stared straight ahead.

While you were almost halfway to the other side, someone was making a turn onto the same street and heading towards you.

You were still too distracted to bother even looking at the person, until the color red catches your eye. Automatically snapping out of your thoughts, your raven eyes instantly lock onto a pair of seafoam green ones.

They were familiar, all too familiar.

Once your mind was finally able to take in the person's full appearance, you froze.


	6. Chapter 6: Reunion

You've taken on countless risky missions. You've dedicated your life to putting your life on the line to protect others. Yes, you admit, there were some instances when you felt frightened. You've been in predicaments where you heart skipped a beat because you thought you would die the instant you heard a shuriken being thrown at you while you had little strength to move.

But not once in those situations did your heart race so fast. Not once did it feel like the organ would shoot out of your chest like a bird eager to leave its nest. Not once were you too shocked to move... while simultaneously feeling the cliche 'butterflies in your stomach' sensation.

Not once.

Until this very moment.

The person who has appeared in your dreams countless times for seven years was standing right before your eyes. The person who has maintained a special place in your heart was looking directly into your pupils right at this very moment.

You've waited for this day. You've waited to see him. For so long, you yearned for the dream to be reunited with him to come true. And now that it has, you were at a loss for words.

For once, your expression was easily readable. You were shocked. Your partially open mouth and trembling eyes clearly gave it away.

What do you do? What do you say? After all the times you thought of and wished to be in this scenario, how come you've never once planned out what to say? Are you just going to stand there like an idiot until he recognizes you? Say something before he disappears—before you both disappear from each other's lives again!

"You're Sayuri."

The unfamiliar—but at the same time familiar—voice disrupted your thoughts and ended your internal conflict.

You blinked for the first time you two made eye contact.

He wasn't asking a question. It was a statement. He recognized you. He remembers you! It's really him! There's no doubt in your mind.

If you were the same girl like the one you were seven years ago, you would have ran up to him, pulled him into an embrace, and held onto him as if your life depended on it, as if it would stop him from disappearing from your life ever again. You would've had tears streaming down your cheeks while continiously telling him how much you missed him and how much you never wanted to be separated again.

And although you abandoned that childish persona long ago, the five-year-old you was itching to pop out, awakened by this sudden, but long-awaited reunion.

"Yes." You managed to say without stuttering, despite your trembling lips. This situation has affected you dramatically. Twelve-year-old Hatake Sayuri never once spoke so nervously. "It's me, Gaara. It's me."

Again, silence ensued. You two stood there, merely ten feet from each other.

After what felt like hours, you finally took the time to realize how different he was; how much he changed, physically.

From the red kanji on his forehead to the way his eyes stared right back at yours. The way he stood with his arms crossed. The way the blank expression on his face never once changed the whole time since you set your eyes on him. It was impossible for you to read any emotion he could or _should _be feeling.

The way he looked so cold... stopped you from running to him and putting your arms around him like you so desperately wanted to. The atmosphere around him stopped you from doing so. Your gut was telling you it wasn't a good idea, but your heart made it oh so tempting. Is this really the same Gaara?

"Gaara–"

You were caught off guard when he suddenly uncrosses his arms and starts walking towards you. At a loss for words again, you couldn't think of anything to do but wait. When you were merely inches away from each other, you unknowingly hold your breath in. So many thoughts of what he might do or say are running through your head at 50 miles an hour...

But he merely walks pass you, without uttering a single word. His shoulder barely brushes your own, but the contact instantly causes you to snap out of your thoughts.

You blink, trying to figure out what just happened. _What? _You were so confused.

Without a second thought, you instinctively grab his wrist.

You felt something familiar underneath your fingers. You look down to where your hand was gripping his arm and see the familiar beaded bracelet, which was exactly like the one you were also wearing.

"Gaara, you're still wearing it. You're still wearing it so you haven't forgotten, have you? You haven't forgotten. I know you haven't so why are you just walking away from me?" You surprised yourself with your sudden outburst. You spoke so fast, suddenly out of breath.

You felt a bit guilty for yelling at him, but that didn't stop you from tightening your grip on his wrist. You just couldn't let him go, just like that! The fact that he just walked past you surprised and angered you so much, causing all the emotions you had locked inside you for the past several years to come rushing out all at once. Relief. Sadness. Disappointment. _Hurt_. You were being overwhelmed by the sudden emotions spewing out of you.

"Gaara, how could you just walk past me like that? After all this time–"

"Let go of me." He said it so calmly yet the words sounded so harsh and hurtful. Just four harmless words, yet you felt like he had stuck a kunai right through your chest and told you to die.

"...what?" _What's become of you Gaara? Why are you acting this way?_

"Let go of me." He repeats himself. Without even trying to pull his arm away from your grip, he turns his head slightly to the left and stares straight into your eyes once again, only this time the eye contact sent a chill down your spine. You've never felt this sensation before.

"If you don't, I will kill you."

Even after those words left his lips, you continued to peer straight into his eyes, hoping you could get a glimpse of what he could be feeling inside his heart.

But he meant it.

The second your mind finally registered how there was not even an ounce of bluff in his voice, you reluctantly let go.

The moment your hand left his wrist, he turns his head, and continues walking away, never giving you a last glance.

Your eyes were glued to his back as he walks away from you, his figure getting smaller and smaller until he was completely out of sight. After just standing there for ten minutes, you suddenly fall onto your knees, your eyes never leaving the direction in which he had left.

You don't know how long you were in that position, but at one point Kakashi had found you there and rushed to your side. The fact that you looked so shaken up was worrying him. After minutes of you not giving him any type of answer as to why you were just sitting there on the ground or why you looked so solemn, he told you to go home and rest. So you did.

Your feet were moving on their own, as your mind recounted what had just happened over and over again.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Sooo... how did you feel while reading this scene? Please review and share your opinions. I would love to know your thoughts!


	7. Chapter 7: Name

_It was late afternoon. A little girl with black hair tied into two pig tails was walking alone towards a playground she knew was nearby. She had just gotten permission from her brother to play there, since he wasn't too far away from the location and could easily get to her before she could even be in any type of danger._

_She has only been able to play at this playground once or twice. Her brother and herself stayed at a hotel a great distance from it, so they were rarely around the area. But she was in luck today!_

_Her pigtails bounced as she happily skipped, the playground finally coming into view. But seeing someone at the swing set caused her to hault._

_She had never seen anyone at this playground. Even during the many times she caught glimpses of it from her bedroom window, she has never once seen a child playing there._

_So the presence of a little boy staring at the ground, who also looked to be in her age group, surprised her. But the look of shock was quickly replaced by a smile on her face._

_"Hey!" The little girl yelled out as she ran to stand in front of the boy._

_She noticed the boy flinched as soon as he heard someone yell at him. As he hesitantly looked up from his position on the swing, his seafoam green eyes made contact with her raven orbs._

_"Wow, your eyes are a pretty color!" Her smile grew bigger. "I'm Sayuri, what's your name?"_

_The little boy was at a loss for words. Never has anyone willingly—let alone happily—approached him with a smile on their face. The only words that people have spoken to him were always condescending. So the little boy didn't know what to say. He didn't know if he should try being friendly back or to be worried she might be trying to mess with him._

_Sayuri eagerly waited for the little boy to speak, but frowned when he lowered his head and resumed staring at the ground._

Maybe he's shy. _She thought. She looked to her right at the empty swing right beside him. Without a word, she left the spot in front of the boy and sat down on the swing. She stretched her legs, so that her feet could kick off the ground causing her to swing slightly._

_"I never see anyone play here. You're the first." She said after a minute or so._

_"Because they're scared." His soft, raspy voice instantly caught her attention. She quickly turned her head to look at the boy._

_"Scared of what?" She pressed her feet on the ground to stop swinging._

_"Of me." He said calmly, but she noticed there was a crack in his voice._

_She didn't say anything for a few seconds, but continued to look at the boy. He looked even more solemn than he had before, if that was even possible. She considered asking him why people would be scared of him, but quickly dismissed the thought. The boy was already sad enough. The way his eyes stared at the ground made her feel a slight pang in her chest._

_"I'm not scared." She said confidently with a smile. Her words caused him to look up at her._

_Her smile grew bigger. She hopped off the swing and went to stand in front of him once again._

_"What's your name?" She asked again, putting her hands on her knees, and bending over a little so that they were now at eye level._

_The boy blinked. The way she looked at him and the way she smiled at him had enough impact on him to give him the courage to speak again._

_"...Gaara." Once it slipped from his lips, he looked down and shut his eyes tightly, awaiting the same dreaded response he always received every time he revealed his name to someone._

_Sayuri stood back up again and clasped her hands together behind her back._

_"Okay Gaara, let's be friends!"_

* * *

Kakashi, who was seriously concerned about you, opted not to meet up with his team after all after he had watched you turn to leave and head home almost half an hour ago. He decided to also go home as well.

You could hear the feint sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs, the wood creaking slightly which each step. You couldn't see the knob of your bedroom door twisting but you could see the door slowly opening in the corner of your eye.

You didn't pay your brother any attention as he stepped inside your bedroom. You were too lost, caught up too deep within your emotions and restless thoughts to acknowledge his presence beside you.

Kakashi watched as you unconsciously clenched your hand into a tight fist, slightly trembling as you dug your nails into your palm, hard enough to pierce through the surface of the skin. You were staring at the teddy bear again, exactly like you were before an hour or so ago.

He didn't say a word. His eyes darted from you, to the bear, and back at you again. And then it clicked.

_They finally met_. He thought.

But the fact that you were acting so out of character only confirmed his suspicions. For the past few years, he has heard nothing but bad things about a certain boy from Sunagakure.

_The rumors are undoubtedly true then._ _Gaara: Suna's jinchuuriki, said to be a merciless shinobi who cares about no one but himself... is indeed such a person._

Kakashi has always known that you still thought about the boy which is why he has never once mentioned anything about the awful rumors that were circling about. He knows you've been yearning to see him again ever since you two returned from Suna seven years ago. But Gaara's complete change in character must have caught you off guard, to the point where it felt like your expectations of him were crumbling onto the ground and being repeatedly stomped on over and over again by said person.

Your brother decides not to mention his name, or anything about him. If you said something first, then he was all for telling you everything he knew. But if you don't say anything about it, then he'll never question it. He knows you're going through internal turmoil right at this moment and he didn't want to add onto it.

The only thing he could do now, is to be there for you, whether or not you're ready to seek his comfort or advice.

Kakashi steps in front of you, completely blocking your view of your nightstand. He gently puts one arm around you and pulls you into—what he hoped to be—a comforting hug, his other hand lightly patting your back. But your body didn't show any type of response to this embrace. Your eyes never moved.

"You're too distracted today. That's not good." You hear him say. "I'm sure my team would appreciate some help from you to prepare them for the Chuunin Exams. Maybe they could help keep your mind off of things in return."

_The Chuunin exams._ Those words echoed in your head. _That's why he's here!_

Your eyes widened as you realized the possibility of a member of Team 7 being pitted against Gaara.

"Let's go train." You finally spoke, surprising Kakashi. You pull away from him to look up at his face. You managed to smile at your brother. Whether it was fake or genuine, you don't even know yourself. "They definitely need it."


	8. Chapter 8: Preparation

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the support! This chapter is written in third-person point of view.

* * *

_Her footsteps were light, as light as they could be. The little girl slowly inched her way towards the red-haired boy who was sitting on the wooden frame of the sandbox, his back facing her. He was eerily quiet as usual, absentmindly kicking at the sand._

_"Gaara!" Five-year-old Sayuri went to jump on Gaara's back, but was forcibly pushed back by the sudden rush of sand shooting out at her. She fell on her butt with a "oof!"_

_Gaara quickly turned around, with a surprised and apologetic look on his face._

_"Sayuri! I'm-I'm so sorry!" He ran to his friend and held out a lending hand but then quickly pulled it back, scared that she was now angry and would only slap his hand away._

_"Why did you do that Gaara?" Sayuri asked, confused. She was still sitting on the ground, looking at his feet._

_"I-I didn't! The sand does that by itself!" Gaara nervously defended himself. "So that I can't get hurt... I'm sorry."_

_She had already learned about how Gaara had been mistreated by his village. Even his own family isolated him. He told her about how the sand had protected him when other kids would throw objects at him or if a weapon was thrown at him out of nowhere. His sand acted instinctively for his own protection._

_Sayuri looked up, her now solemn expression mirrored his own. She jumped up and dusted off the back of her skirt. _

_"No, I shouldn't have tried to sneak up on you." She gave him a reassuring smile and held out a hand._

_Gaara looked down at her hand and then back at Sayuri. He was confused. What did she want him to give her? "I don't have anything..."_

_"Hold my hand, silly!" She chimed._

_The little boy was taken aback. Everyone in the village avoided physical contact with him at all costs. This would also be the first time the two would make contact so this made Gaara nervous. What if he hurt her? What if the sand attacked her before their hands even touch? Then again, Gaara never hurt his uncle Yashamaru, the only person who had ever trusted and cared for the boy._

_Gaara gulped. Sayuri had declared herself as his friend nearly two weeks ago, and since then, the two would meet each other every other evening at the playground. Gaara had felt less lonely. Even though Sayuri was the talkative and smiley one while he was the quiet and solemn-looking one, he couldn't say that he didn't enjoy her presence, even if he didn't really express it. _

_Although finally having someone at his side made him somewhat uncomfortable, he had learned to accept that there exists the possibility of someone out there who actually wants to be his friend. His uncle had encouraged him to. And now that he had finally found such a person, he didn't want to lose her._

_He slowly reached out his hand and hesitantly set his palm on top of hers._

_Sayuri's smile grew bigger, revealing her pearly whites. She interwined her fingers with his and then gently tugged him towards the swing set. The two remained hand-in-hand for the remainder of their evening together._

* * *

Team 7 weren't too happy with their sensei who _just _decided to inform them of the Chuunin Exams since they had already found out about it earlier.

"How come you haven't told us sooner sensei?!" Naruto asked, crossing his arms.

"Yeah! These guys from Suna told us about it," Sakura added.

_Suna?_ Sayuri sat on the ground a few feet away, stretching her legs out to constrict her thigh muscles. She instantly turned her head to look at the three Genin who were resting against three wooden trunks they often used to practice aiming. They had all been training for the past hour and a half until Kakashi told them to take a break.

"Sorry. I've been meaning to tell you guys. It just kept slipping my mind." Kakashi scratched his head though he didn't sound the least bit apologetic. He purposely brushed off the mention of Suna. "Well then, allow me to inform you all about the Chuunin exams. Those who perform well in this three-staged exam will be considered for promotion to Chuunin!"

* * *

Another hour had passed since Kakashi had officially informed his team of the Chuunin exams that was to start in a few days. Naruto was the most riled up out of the three Genin.

Kakashi who was proud of his student's enthusiasm, decided to treat his team to Ichiraku Ramen. But it was just the three Genin and his sister now, since he had dismissed himself early because he had "matters to attend to." Did he even pay yet?

"You know what I just noticed Sayuri-chan?" Naruto asked while slurping whatever was left in his large bowl of what used to be ramen.

Sayuri, who was sitting at his left and at the right of Sasuke. "What did you just notice, Naruto?" She humored him, setting her glass of water lightly on the counter, but not even looking at him.

After setting his bowl down loudly, he points a finger at her."You and Kakashi-sensei look NOTHING alike!"

Sayuri faced him, amused. _It's been months and he _just _noticed that now?_

"Naruto, you idiot!" Sakura balls her fist and hits him on the head. "You just noticed that now after all this time? And stop pointing your finger at people, it's rude!" Though she was actually just as curious as to why the two siblings didn't share any type of resemblance.

Sasuke was silent as always, but he too shared the same curiousity. Without turning his head, his eyes looked to her, awaiting her response.

Sayuri sighed and looked down at her empty glass. "We're not biological siblings."

"EH?" Naruto didn't expect that as her answer, nor did the other two. "You're not related by blood? So are you two step-siblings?"

Sayuri simply shook her head and got off her stool. "I'm heading home. If you're that curious then feel free to ask Kakashi."

"Is she sure they're not related_?"_ Naruto asked himself aloud as he watched her leave, similar to how her brother would after a few swift last words.

_What are the odds of Gaara being one of the Sand shinobi those three had bumped into?_ Sayuri contemplated as she walked through the thin crowd of people. _They hadn't said anything particular about him... _She shook her head to clear her thoughts, but it didn't do much good. _He probably wasn't one of them. He would've definitely stood out._

Sayuri looked up at the sky. The blue had an orange and red tint to it, signaling the end of the afternoon. The red tint only reminded her of a certain person. She unconsciously clenched her hands into tight fists.

_I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Just wait._

* * *

**Author's Note_: _**Sorry for ending it so abruptly!


	9. Chapter 9: Guilt

**Author's Note:** This chapter is written in second-person point of view. Sorry for switching around. Thank you to the Guest who pointed out several mistakes from chapter 2 and 3. I appreciate it! As I proofread each chapter I've noticed that I tend to switch verb tenses. Please bare with me. Also, just to put this out there, Sayuri either refers to her brother as Kakashi or nii-san in the present story.

* * *

_"Chakra beads...?"_

_"Yeah! Onii-san said that it can store our chakra!"_

_"We have chakra...?" Gaara asked doubtfully._

_"Yup!" Sayuri nodded. "That's what onii-san said. Even little kids like us have chakra."_

_She gently took a hold of Gaara's wrist and then inserted his hand into the loop of one of the bracelets she had in hand. The beaded bracelet was twice the circumference of the boy's wrist so it hung loosely._

_"It's too big." He was a bit disappointed. This was his first gift from his first friend and now he can't even wear it. _

_"That's where the chakra comes in!" Sayuri said enthusiastically. She wrapped her hands around his wrist, covering the bracelet. Closing her eyes, she concentrated as hard as she could just like how her brother had demonstrated the day before._

_Gaara's eyes widened as he witnessed his friend's hands give off a blue glow. He watched as the glow traveled from her hands and into each individual bead of the bracelet. He could feel the faint warmth emanating from the black beads._

_His bracelet continued to glow as the blue disappeared from Sayuri's hands. Once she stopped concentrating, she retracted her hands away and then opened her eyes to see the blue glow engulfing the bracelet._

_"Wow..." She was surprised that it actually worked. "So pretty."_

_They both watched in awe as the string that was holding the beads together tightened and shrunk until the entire bracelet fit perfectly around the boy's wrist. Once the bracelet was secured, the blue glow of her chakra was then absorbed by the beads._

_"My turn! My turn!" She was now even more excited to see Gaara do the same to her's._

* * *

Your hands were trembling as you held onto the railing with a tight grip. You watched with horror as the boy clad in green was being pummeled by Gaara's sand.

The fight had taken such an unexpected turn for the worse.

Gaara was merciless. He was bloodthirsty. You could practically feel his lust for blood crawl all over your bare skin and send shivers down your spine.

You've encountered various enemy shinobi who took pleasure in causing bodily harm to their opponents. You've met plenty who killed just for the hell of it, it was a common sight in the shinobi world. Yet watching this fight made you feel a whole different level of anxiety.

Your facial expression was pretty much flustered, just like most of the others that were watching. But if anyone had bothered to look into your eyes at this very moment, they would have been surprised to see that you were more scared than you should be.

Yes. You were scared. No matter how much you tried to deny it, you knew that in the back of your head, you could have suffered and **may** suffer the same fate as Lee. Just imagining Gaara do the same to you...

Why were you so scared though? This isn't the first time. You've witnessed scenes like this so many times before. Sometimes you don't even bat an eyelash when you hear someone scream in pain or see blood spill onto the ground. So why now?

You couldn't help it! This was the same boy who would carry around his cherished teddy bear as a child. This was the same boy who cried when he accidently pushed you too hard on the swing. This was the same boy... This was Gaara.

What could have possibly happened for him to grow up into such a cruel person? How far has he fallen into this darkness and for how long? If you had stayed in Suna just a bit longer, would all of this have been avoided?

"You look like you're taking this harder than I am."

You snapped out of your inner musings and turned your head to look at Gai.

He looked back at the fight, slightly cringing as he heard his student yelp in pain. It was obvious he had also been going through some inner turmoil as well. He was most likely blaming himself for what his student was going through, probably for being an inadequate sensei or something of the sort.

You opened your mouth to speak, but you didn't know what to say. Should you apologize for Gaara? Should you give him words of encouragement? Should you reassure him that Lee will be just fine and that he will come out of this fight alive? As far as you can tell, Lee's defeat was inevitable. And at this point, it was impossible to predict what else Gaara was capable of.

You decided it would be wiser to just keep your mouth shut. You were never the consoling type anyway and your words would have probably made him feel worse than he already was. You chose to join him in watching the fight in silence instead.

It felt like time froze the moment Gaara had stuck his hand out to finish Lee off even though he was already declared the victor. You didn't notice Gai leave your side until he reappeared in front of Lee to prevent Gaara from causing anymore injuries to his student.

Pummeling him with his sand. Breaking his bones until one side of his body was practically paralyzed. That wasn't enough for Gaara? Does his opponent have to be dead until he's finally satisfied?

You watched as Gaara walked away and Gai accompanied the medics as they took Lee away on a stretcher.

* * *

One month.

In one month, the final stage of the Chuunin Exams will take place.

You only have one month. One month to change things. This may be your only chance and you weren't going to waste it. You absolutely can't. After the Exams are officially over and done with, all teams from outside Konoha would be leaving. You may never see him again if things don't change by the time it's all over.

You layed on your bed, flat on your back, just staring at the ceiling.

It's been a week since the preliminary matches. Lee was checked into the hospital and has been in there since. Things weren't looking too good for him according to your brother. His brief time as a shinobi may very well be over.

You sat up on your knees and twisted around to look at a particular photo on your nightstand.

You and Gaara, seven years ago. You remember you had commanded Kakashi to take a picture of you with the red-head. Your brother easily complied so there was no point for you to have been so demanding. You didn't mean to be, you were just so eager to take a picture of your friend, you couldn't help it.

A smile tugged at your lips at the small grin on Gaara's face. You remembered that day clearly. He was so shy and kept looking away from the camera, it was so cute. You had taken a hold of his hand hoping it would make him feel more comfortable. Little did you know, your friendly gesture had made the boy even more uncomfortable considering the fact that your brother was there to witness it. He was still worried about whether or not your brother accepted him.

You weren't sure if holding his hand had helped, but even now, looking at the photo, you could see that his face had a pink tint to it as his eyes looked to you. You've always wondered the real reason why he was blushing. Probably because he was extremely camera-shy. Even so, you wish he would still look at you that way again...

You shook your head to snap yourself out of your reverie.

_I shouldn't waste time reminiscing..._ It wasn't doing any good and you were just wasting precious time. Getting off your bed, you contemplated what to do for a few seconds. The image of a half-conscious Lee appeared in your head.

_ I should apologize... for what though? _Ever since you've watched their fight, you couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty. In all honesty, you've been worrying more about Gaara than you were about Lee.

You should pay him a visit. It was the least you could do.


End file.
